Boiler-tube cleaner.



No. 840,221. y

C. S. KNIGHT.

BOILER TUBE CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED JULYl. 1904.

PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907.

" UNITED st rATias PATENT OFFICE. l

CHARLESS. KNIGHT, OF AURORA,4 ILLINOIS.

d BOILEn-TUBE CLEANER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. KNIGHT, a citizen of theJUnited States,residing at Aurora, in thecounty of Kane and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Im rovements in vBoiler-Tube Cleaners,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of cleaners for use removinglincrustations from the interior of boiler-tubes and to that particulartype of such 'cleaners employinga rotary head carrying'cutters adatedtoen- ,the cutter-head extending approximately the entire length ot thehead and including the turbine-wheel; to furnish a ball-bearing` for theturbine-wheel and a ball-bearing for the advance or Jforward end ofthehead carrying the cutters., with races adapted for the rece tion oflarge balls and so arranged asto furnlsh a support for the turbine-wheeland the 'head of the cutters extending thefull 'length of the .wheel andhead; to enable` a cross-bearing to be obtained for the cutterhead ofapproximately the full diameter 1oi' the head, thereby preventinwab'bling or lateral movement ofthe hea in the operation ofthe cutterstoA Jr'urnish anv adjustment for the bearings by entering-the cone ofthe forwardbearing on a fixed rod or stem'and slotting the outer end ofthe rod-yorstem and entering thereinto a wedge-screw;` by the advancingand receding of which the' outer cone can be adjusted to take up wear;to improve the constructionl `and arrangement of the cutters' and theircarrying-headand 'to improve generally the? construction and operationof the severalelements entering `into the cutter as a whole.'

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinationsof parts hereinafter described andclaimed." n d' Specification ofLetters Patent. Appnaion and July 15.1904. serial No. 216,755.

Patented Jan. i, 1907.

InV the drawings, Figure 4l tion of the cutter of the invention; Fig. 2,a

longitudinal sectional elevation of the same;`

Fig. 3, a cross-section through the outer ballbearing, taken on line3 3of Fig. 2 lookin in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 4,.a'deta1 of theslotted outer end of the ixed rod or stem; Fig. 5, a lon itudinalsection of, the outer end of the xe rod or stem; and Fig. 6v a detail,being a side elevation of the lockingscrew Jfor the outer end of theixed rod or stem. v l

IThe main shell or casing A in the construction of Figs. 1, 2, and 3 ismade of brass, with an exterior diameter to permit of the passage oftheshell or casing into the tube to be cleaned. The main shell or casing A,as shown in Fig. 2, has formed` therewith a cross-partition B,having acentrally-extending hub or boss b, into which is entered the inner orrear end of a rod or stem C, the extreme end of which is threaded andreceives a nut c, by means of which the stem or rod is held a iixedrelation. A turbine-wheel D, preferably made of brass, is 4located inthe chamber of the shell or casin A in advance of the cross wall orpartition which wheel has the usual openings d for the passage of theuid or li u1d by which it is drlven, such iluid or liqui acting on thewheel by being proected through openings d in the cross 1s a sideelevawal or partition B, as usual in driving turbine-wheels fromtheforceof a liquid or fluid- `The turbine-wheel D is threaded or otherwiseentered onto the inner end of a long head E, which consists of a wall ewith projecting s or earsfe arranged in pairs on opposite s1 es of thewall, four pairs of wings stem F at its outer end as. mounted thereon acutterG, each cutter, as shown, ofa cone shape and having its exteriorprovided with cutting ridges or teeth g, and-each cutter is mounted on apinf2, which may be a continuationof the stem F, and is held lby anupset or'headf3 against endwithdrawal.

The two ,other pairs of ears e each have yentered between them the shankh of a rod or being employed in the construction shown.

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stem H, and the shank is mounted between the ears e by a suitable pin or.pivot h', so that the rod or stem H is free to vibrate on the pin orpivot as a support. The outer end of each rod'or stem H has mountedthereon a cutter I, each cutter consisting of a plurality of disks i,each disk having a series of cutting points or teeth i', and each cutterI asl a whole is mounted on a pin or `journal h2,

which may be a'continuation 'of the rod or stem H and is held by anupset or head h3 4or otherwise against end displacement. The

cutters G act in advance to break and disintegrate-the scale andincrustations, and the cutters I act to finish the removal of the scaleand incrustations from ethe inner face of the tube. l

The fixed stem or rod C has thereon-or therearound thecone-section J ofaball-.bearcone jand the plate or flange j and the plate c, with its rimor flan e c-, is formed a race L, in which are located argeballs Z,furnishing a broad bearing for the turbine-wheel, by which the wheel'and the cutter-head are given a lateralI support and are free torevolve, which support is approximately the full diameter of the Wall ofthe cutter-headl and is made firm and solid through the'wide bearingvand the large balls.

' Theouter or forward end of the fixed stem or 'rod C is of lessdiameter than the body of the rod, and this end c of the rod or stem hasan exterior screw-thread on which is entered the cone-sectionM of aball-bearing race for,v

.- the o'uter end of the cutter-head,wl1'ich seca broad bearing for ttion M consists ofa cone m, extending from an annular rim or flange mWith both formed integral Witha -body or nut m2, the cone and-the bodyor nut having a screwthreaded hole for entering the section as a Wholeonto the threaded end of the fixed rod or stem.

The companion or cup section N of the outer race consists of a wideplate fn with a circumferential rim or lian e n', extending, as shown,to the outer end o the Wall e of the cutterhead and having, as shown; aninterior screw-thread at its outer end. -The cone m, with the lian e orrim 7h', together withtheplate n and t e rim n', form a race O, in whichare located lar e balls o, which furnish eouter end of the cutter-head,by which the cutter-head and the turbine-wheel are given a lateralsupport and are free to revolve under conditions Aof firmness andsolidity by reason of" the wide bearing and large balls. It will thus beseen that the turbine-wheel has a 'ball-bearing support at its innerside or face, which furnishes a ballbearin support for 'the inner end ofthe cutter-hea ,and that the cutter-head has at its outer end aball-bearing support, with the result that the cutter-head is givena'solid and firm lateral support and bearing for its entire length, bywhich it will beheld in place and at the same time have a freerotation,y which support is attained by the wide bearings andlarge ballsof the-ball-bearings.

The cone-section M of the outer race is adjustable on the threaded end cofthe stem or rod C for the purpose of takingy up slack in case of wearbetween the ball-bearings. This section M r when adjusted must be lookedfirmly in its adjusted position. `The :outer end c of the stem or rod Chas an axial hole c2 and the wall surrounding the hole has slots c3,which permit of the expansion ofthe wall to lockf and hold thecone-section M in its adjusted position. The slotted wall of the vend cis spread by a screw P,having a' threaded end p and a tapered portionp', so that by advancing the screw in the axial -hole of the rod or stemthe wall of the end c will be forced outward,impinging theexterior-threads of the end against the threads of the conesection M andlocking the sectionl in an-adjusted position. The section can beadvanced on the end c to take up wearby receding the screw P until thebite or impingement between the wall of the end of the rod or stem andthe section M is releaesd, when the section M can be advanoedas requiredto take up wear, and when properlyad] usted it can be locked and held`in its adjusted positionby advancing the screwl to restore the bite orimpingement of the threads ofz the end 'c' and the cone-sectionM of therace.f The inner screw-thread of the annular rim or wall n receives theend of a cover or top Q, having a neck g, into which is entered a.closingplug q for the cover tofurn-ish anoil-receptacle, Ab-ywhichy theball-bearings are -kept pro erly-lubricated.

e inner or rear end of the main shell or casing Ahas on its interioraledge a, into which is threaded a coupling-plug R, which plug, as shown,has an annular wall 1' with an exterior screw-thread, to enter the inneror rear end of the shell or casing and a circumferential flange or rimr' to abut against the end face ofthe shellfo'r casing and make a tightjoint. -The coupling-plug R has an interior screw-thread in theconstruction shown,

into Awhich is'threaded the end of a supplypipe S- for the fluid orliquid lby which the turine'fwheel is revolved.

The o eration will be readily understood.

AThe Shel or casing is attached to the end of the supply-pipe S for thefluid or liquid,and

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Y scaleand'incrustations-from the interior of the tube, as is usual inboiler-tube cleaners of Athis class. 4 t

The construction of the cleaner is exceedingly-simple and at the saine`time is strongA and dura le, the cutter-head having a long bearing,virtually the full length ofthe cutterhead and thev turbine-Whse Theturbinewheel is supported so as to be free to revolve,

asis also t v ings for this purpose furnish a solid and firm ecutter-head, and the ball-bearsupport derived from the wide`bearingplates and large balls, by which the end thrust will be indirectline 'with the wall of the cutter-head, or approximately so, fromfrontto rear ofthe cutter. The support is the' full length of the wallof the cutter-head instead of a support only at the inner end of suchhead, and by having the ball-bearing sup port with large balls at theextreme ends of the cutter-head `such support will hold the cutter-headand the cutters in a straight line without any appreciable lateral play.lThe cross-section for the ball-bearing support is one which enableslarge balls to be used without weakening or affecting the strength andrigidity of the cutter-head and the turbinewheel. The adjustablecone-section of the outer race or ball-bearing enables end wear or playto be` readily taken up, it only be' ing necessar to advance-the outercone-section and w enl advanced lock it ina fixed relation by advancingthe wedge-screw, which can be very readily and quickly accomplishedwithout requiring the taking apart of the cutter. The cap entered ontothe'outer ball-bearing furnishes a chamber for containin'g oil or otherlubricant by which the ballbearing an i the other parts will be keptlubricated or oil d.l

The cones, bearing-plates,. cups., and balls.

of the ball-bearings are all made of hardened steel, so as to insurelong wear, and the wide cups and wide bearing-plates furnish a race forthe reception of largerballs thanhave heretofore been used inboiler-tube cleaners, giving an increased lateral bearin and greaterfirmness and rigidity to resist t e thrust and strain arising from theuse of the cutter in removing scale and incrustations from boilertubes.The stems F and H in order'to prevent contact with the edge of the cup Nare notched out or cut away to form arecess f4, which prevents the stemsfrom strikin against the edge of the cup and breaking ownor chipping thewall n', thereby insuring the maintenance of the cup intact and inproper work ing condition.

What I claima's new, andldesireto secure by Letters Patent, is-- V l 1.In a 'boiler-tube cleaner, the combination of a main Ishell havin across-wall, a fixed stern forwardly extending from the center'of thecross-wall and havinga reduced forward end with an exterior screw-threadPvthereon, and yhaving in the reduced forward endl cross-slots onopposite sides and havin in the reduced forward end and in the end ofthe body of the sternn a centrallongitudinal hole screw-threaded at itsinner end, a cutter-head having a side wall encircling the stem, abearin for the forward end of the cutter-head, said learin kconsistingof'a cup and cone with the cone t eaded onto the reduced front end ofthefixed stem, and an ex pandiug screw having a threaded advance end enaging. the threaded section of the hole inthe orward end of the lsternand having atap'ered body entered into the hole of the reduced slotted-end of the fixed stem, for the advance of the screw to cause thetapered -body to act and'ex'pand-the reduced slotted end of the fixedstem and lock the cone-thereon in adjutsed position, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a boiler-tube cleaner, the combinationof a central fixed sternhaving a reduced forward end with an exterior 'screw-thread and havingslots on opposite sides of thereduced lforward end and having a holeterminating in a screw-thread within the end proper of the stem', acutter-head having a side wall encirclin the fixed lste1n, a bearing forthe front en of the cutter-head, saidbearing consistin of a cup and acone with the cone `threa ed onto the reduced forward end'of the IOOstem, and a screw havin .a threaded advance end and a tapered ody andentered into the hole in the forward end of the stem for the thread toadvance the screw and cause IOS .the tapered body to act and expand thereduced slotted end of the fixed stem and lock the bearing-cone thereonin an adjusted position, substantially as described.

3. In aboiler-tube cleaner, the combination of a cutter-head having aside wall, a plurality of ears integral with the side wall of thecutter-head and arranged in opposing pairs, each pair of ears laterallyprojecting from the side wall of the cutter-head and the forward end ofeach ear extending beyond the end proper of the side wall, a bearing-cupat the front end of the cutter-head entered between the projectingforward ends ofthe llO ears, and abutting against the end proper of thewall of the cutter-head and having aforwardly-projectigrim, and a caphaving a j body and aneck with the inner end of the body entered intothe rim of the cup, for the cup yand cap to furnish a receptacle for alubricant, substantially as described.

4. In a boiler-'tube cleaner, the combination of a cutter-head having aside wall, a plufront end ot the cutter-head entered between jectingrim, a cap having a body and aneck l side wall of the cutter-head andthe forward rality of ears integral with-the side Wall of the with theVinner end of the body entered into cutter-head and arran ed in opposingpairs, the rim of the cup, for the cup and cap to fureach pair of earslatera 1y projecting from the -m'sh a receptacle for a lubricant, and abear- A ing-cone on the forward end of the stem inend of each earextending beyond the end closed Within the receptacle formed by theproper of the side wall, a bearing-cup at the clip and eap,substantia1lyas described.4

the projecting forward ends of the ears, and CHARLES S' KNIGHT abuttinga ainst the end proper of the wall of the cutteread and having aforwardly-prol Witnesses:

WALKER BANNING, WLLIAM P. BOND.

